Interpreting National History: Race, Identity, and Pedagogy in Classrooms and Communities by Terrie Epstein.
Big takeaway: In classrooms of Black and White students, students come into history classes with different frameworks for understanding U.S. history and they leave with the same framework they started with. They might learn new content, but regardless of how good or bad their teacher is, they incorporate this new content into their pre-existing framework for understanding. However, the catch is that white teachers generally have the same framework for understanding as their white students and so they teach in a way that aligns with how these kids see US history. The black students come with a more critical view of history and leave the class with further evidence that mainstream history is not their history. As a result, they are further distrusting of teachers, schools, and society in general.
Other takeaways: Geez, some teachers are oblivious. How can they be teaching history when they are so unaware?
Epstein argues that if teachers understand the frameworks their students are arriving with they will be better able to plan the curriculum in a way that challenges them to grow their knowledge. Her idea for doing this is similar to what she did with students in the study. She gave them photos of people/events and asked them to pick out the most historically significant and explain their thinking. Then, she asked them explain how things have changed or remained the same over time. Of course, she did a lot more than that, but that's the general gist. It like the idea; it's an expanded version of a historical significance activity I've had students do at the start of the school year. What I'm trying to figure out is how to do it as a classroom teacher (as opposed to researcher who is pulling out students one by one and interviewing them).
Big takeaway: In classrooms of Black and White students, students come into history classes with different frameworks for understanding U.S. history and they leave with the same framework they started with. They might learn new content, but regardless of how good or bad their teacher is, they incorporate this new content into their pre-existing framework for understanding. However, the catch is that white teachers generally have the same framework for understanding as their white students and so they teach in a way that aligns with how these kids see US history. The black students come with a more critical view of history and leave the class with further evidence that mainstream history is not their history. As a result, they are further distrusting of teachers, schools, and society in general.
Other takeaways: Geez, some teachers are oblivious. How can they be teaching history when they are so unaware?
Epstein argues that if teachers understand the frameworks their students are arriving with they will be better able to plan the curriculum in a way that challenges them to grow their knowledge. Her idea for doing this is similar to what she did with students in the study. She gave them photos of people/events and asked them to pick out the most historically significant and explain their thinking. Then, she asked them explain how things have changed or remained the same over time. Of course, she did a lot more than that, but that's the general gist. It like the idea; it's an expanded version of a historical significance activity I've had students do at the start of the school year. What I'm trying to figure out is how to do it as a classroom teacher (as opposed to researcher who is pulling out students one by one and interviewing them).